| Content Description | Was pleased to receive his letter and to hear he is better; is able to view a saint's day procession from her window and mentions that Lawrence will be going into the woods to write; tries to explain the theme of the short long story he is writing: 'always breaking new ground...curious class feeling...or rather the soul against the body...the animal part' [Lawrence interjects 'Ooray!!! Eureka!']; reports that they are getting 'such a jolly room ready' with goods from Florence, that the sun shines all day [Lawrence interjects 'some days'] and they are warm as toast; commiserates with his having to sit over 'horrid gasfires and dark England' [Lawrence interjects 'Poverino!!'].
Assures him next spring they will take a place in England where he can come at weekends and they can have a 'connected life'; says Lawrence also wants this, to see something of the younger generation; hopes Elsa [her daughter] has made the right decision and will not be bored with 'her Teddy' [Edward Seaman]; gives maternal advice but acknowledges he will get bored with her preaching; comments on recent visit by the Huxleys' [Aldous and Maria]; urges him to visit them at Christmas; signed 'Your mother'
Additional section by Lawrence begins with ironic reference to Frieda's ability to give and take advice; has not heard from the Stage Society people [about production of his play 'David'] so is unsure whether they will return to London in December for the play; emphatically does not want to but 'England expects'; suggests instead that he and 'Mistress Barby' [sister Barbara Weekley] come to them for Christmas; mentions that his mother yearns for someone to think the house grand and gets no satisfaction in that respect from him; reports on their ordinary way of life and his continuing painting of the house and furniture; remarks 'this is living heroically, ... la Frieda'; comments on the situation in Italy under Mussolini.
The second folio of the letter bears the Nottingham Public Libraries identification number M21224. |
| Publication Note | James T. Boulton and Lindeth Vasey, eds. 'The Letters of D.H. Lawrence' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989) vol V, pp 569-70
Edward Nehls, ed. 'D.H. Lawrence: A Composite Biography' (Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 1959) vol 3 pp 115-16
E.W. Tedlock, ed. 'Frieda Lawrence The Memoirs and Correspondence' (London: Heinemann, 1961) pp 233-34 |